Sheet-handling tray



June 24,1930. H. .s. JONES 1,767,241

SHEET HANDLING TRAY Filed Sept. 20-, 192; s Sheets-Sheet 1 June 24, 1930. H. s. JONES 1,767,241

S-HEET mum xue TRAY Filed Sept. 20, 1923 KSheets-Sheet 2 lmlllmn upa -1 f, 0

June 24, 1930 "H: s. JONES 1,767,241

SHEET HANDLING TRAY Filed Sept. 20,1923 3 sheets sheet s Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES I ARRY s. onas, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs I SHEET-HANDLING TRAY? Application filed September 20, 1923. Seria1No.663,772.

This inventionrelates to a universal loose sheet handling device or tray which is designed to cooperatewith any form of binder for machine book posting or for assorting collecting and alining loose sheets.

It isan object of this invention to provide a posting tray whichis considerably shortened so as to reduce the necessary reach of a person that is posting, which can be readil'y converted from one form to another and which may be easily collapsed for shipping, and which can be used for a sheet assorting, collecting and alining device.

With these and other objects in view which will become more apparent in the fol lowing description and disclosures in the drawings, this invention comprises the novel structure and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate certain preferred forms of thisinvention and in whichsimilar reference numeralsrefer to similar features in the differentviews." q

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the posting tray and binder.

Figure 2 is a; view similar to; Figure 1 showing an attachment appliedthereto.

Figure 3 is aside elevational view'of the tray with the sheet aliner attached.

Figure 4 is a top ,plan view of the trayin collapsed form. r i F Figure '5"is a top plan view of the tray shown in Figure 2..

Figure 6is a top plan view of the tray shown in Figure 3. v I

Figure 7 is anenlarged view upon theline 77 of Figure 1 showing parts in section.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of -Figure). i i Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view taken upon the line.99 of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the sheet aliner showing its attachment to the frame. I Figure 11 is a sectional view upon the line 11-11 of Figure 10. In the il'lustrated form of this invention there is shown a collapsible frame having supports for sustaining loose leaves These supports are removable so that the structure may be collapsed; one of these supportsis an alining support which may take different forms according'to the sheet that is being handled.

In the illustrated form, the frame com- ;prises a pair of sidemembers preferably formed from flat metal bars consisting of base portion 1 and integral upwardly extending vertical portions 2 which curve inwardly at their upper ends and then incline downwardly to form inclined lateral supports 3. I The lower ends of vthese inclined supports extend to the base portions'l to which theyare rigidly attached in any well known Way; 'It will be understood that each pair of similarly inclined supports 3 constitutes one lateral support for the sheets.

A pair of crossed braces 4 are secured to the baseportions'of the sideframe members. These braces are pivotally'connected to one frame -member and releasably connected to the other framevmember. .VVhile any form of releasable connection maybe used, I have shown releasable screws or bolts 5 for re leasably connecting said crossed braces with one of said frame members. 'Thelinclined supports 13 maybe braced ina similar way @to the base portionsand in the drawing I 1 have shown crossed braces 6 applied to one pair ofthe inclined supports. These braces are pivotally connected to oneinclinedsupport and releasably connected to the other inclined support bymmeans of removable screws orbolts 7 By removing the screws 5 and 7 the two side frame'members may be collapsed as shown in Figure 4:.

able base supports 9 and 10 in the, form of v metal plates rest upon the inclined sides of the members 8. The outer ends of these plates are cut away as indicated at 11 (Figs. 5 and 6) so as to provide recesses for receiv ing the inclined lateral supports 3 whereby with a sheet alining rib 12 which is suitably positioned to receive the impaling slots in the loose leaves as they are transferred from the support 9 to the support 10. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 and 2, it is contemplated that the loose sheets have open impaling slots. 7

lVhen it is desired to use loose sheetswith closed slots or apertures, the sheet supporting and alining plate 10 is removed, and the V shaped aliner 13 is secured upon the frame of the tray. This V shapedaliner comprises a pair of side plates whic'hconverge to a point where the same arerem'ovably hinged together as by bent lugs 14c (Figure 9) on one passing through the other. A pair of abutments 15 in the form of angle clips having their opposite surfaces converging similar to the convergence of the aliner are secured upon the braces 4, for supporting the lower end of the aliner 13. The upper ends of the side plates of the aliner are provided with downwardly bent exterior ears or flanges 16 which are adapted to be removably secured to the inclined lateral supports 3, whereby the aliner is sustained in inclinedposition so that the loose sheets can be readily dropped therein and automatically a line themselves as they descend. The converging side plates of the aliner are pro 'vided with inwardly directed interior flanges 17, at their lower ends for supporting one of the covers "of the posting ledger when one is used. One of these flanges has a cut away portion to receive the impaling posts when the binder is assembled in the aliner. hen the device is used for assorting sheets, letters or the like, any sti'fl piece 'of cardboard may be positioned in the aliner to form a support for the collected and alined sheets.

One of the uses to which the tray is especially adapted is that of machine book posting, and for this purpose posting tray binders have been illustrated in connection with the posting trays. In Figures 1 and 2, is illustrated a binder in which the loose sheets have open impaling slots. The back or bottom cover 18 of the binder is shown resting upon the "support 9 and the top cover 19 is shown resting upon the support 10. These covers of course incline against the lateral supports 3, and if it is desired to vary this inclination of the binder covers to a steeper inclination, spacing attachments 20 are adapted to be remo vably secured on the inclined lateral supports 3. These spacing attachments 20 are provided with hoods 20 that frictionally engage over the bends of the supports 3, and downwardly extending.

engaging the alining rib 12 asshown in'Figure 7 the loose sheets may lie-automatically alined as positioned thereon. I

' In Figure 3, is illustrated a binder in which the loose sheets have closed impaling holes. In this instance, the sheets are removed from the impaling posts, the bottom back 21 of the binder being positioned upon the ledger support 9 with its clamping member 22 which supports said posts dangling over the sides of the lateral support 3. The top cover 23 is shown positioned in the aliner 13. This form of-the' invention is especially adapted for random posting since the loose sheets on the ledger support are not retained upon any impaling posts but are free to bemanipulated sothat any sheet thereof maybe quickly located and removed. 'Accordingly, one or 'more sheets may be readily removed from the ledger support 9 and dropped into the aliner 13 which automatically collects and alines the same.

Where it is. desired to ship the tray, the same may be readily collapsed by releasing the'connectionsof the braces 4 and 6 with one of the side frame members, removing the plates 9 and 10,- or the plate 9 and the aliner l3'vif the same lS'HSGClyaIId pressing the frame members together as shown in Figure 4 whereby the cross braces will be folded therebetween. The supporting plates '9 and 10 may be confined between the two frame member's. The aliner 13 maybe disassembled to constitute two plates 13 and 13 as shown in Figure 4 which can be positioned alongside the framemembers or 'therebetween so a compact form for shipping purposes may be attained.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a novel form of tray for handling loose sheets has been devised which is shortened so as to reduce the necessary reach of 'a person in using the same fer posting purposes, which automatically alnies'the sheets, and which can be easily coiiapsed for shipping purposes. r e

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon,' otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claib as my invention: 7

In a postingtray, a pair of transversely spaced side members each member having a pair of inclined portions inverted V-shaped rest members secured to the inclined por tions of each member, an alining member of V-shaped trough form mounted on the said inclined portions and having its'apex extending downward between said rest members, and a pair of members carried on said tray below said rest members and having converging surfaces adapted to receive the sides of the alining member adjacent its apex.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed by name.

HARRY S. JONES. 

